DeNA and Disney aim to be the dynamic duo of mobile social gaming

In the war for mobile social game dominance, DeNA just got a hold the proverbial gun powder. The Japanese-gone-global mobile social game network has announced a partnership with Disney to bring its mobile games to Mobage. It's been a somewhat slow time for ngmoco's newest project, but that's bound to change any day now.

The duo has already launched its first Disney-themed social game on Mobage in Japan, Disney Party. DeNA and Disney even already plan to launch two more games on Mobage in Japan: Disney Fantasy Quest on April 2 and a third game based on Marvel Comics characters. Of course, DeNA plans to localize all three of these games for global releases, the two latter of which are free-to-play card battler games (like this).

Disney Party is a free-to-play simulator social game that lets players organize parties and decorate their homes with gifts to attract more Disney characters. When the Disney cast visits a player's house, they can get in-game photos with them and share the images with their friends over Mobage. Based on what Disney has done with Where's My Water, we hope more new themes and characters crop up.

That's the ultimate point of this project: to gain dominant control of the mobile gaming in the West and abroad. It's a tall order, but other big time players are already moving in the same direction, namely Zynga, EA, and companies like Rovio and 6waves. And there is, of course, DeNA's closest rival, GREE, which has already released two internally-developed games in the West. (Yet it somehow has yet to release its network.) At any rate, welcome to Round 2.

Are you psyched for upcoming Disney mobile games? Should GREE or the other publishers start worrying? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.